Borno Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Adamu Lawan
By Dauda R Pam. Maiduguri
Borno State Government has generated N6.6billion as Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) and paid into the state’s Single Treasury Account (TSA) within the first half of the year 2020 as against N4.1billion in the corresponding period last year 2019.
Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Adamu Lawan said the increase represented 61% over that of the previous year and that this was made possible through the engagement of revenue collection consultants thereby expanding the tax base if individuals,firms and companies in the organised private sector.
He announced the increase in IGR during the inter-ministerial press briefing held on Friday, at the multipurpose hall, Government House, Maiduguri.According to him,“We also adopted the motivations of our staff in the ‘collection and
remitting of revenues’ into TSA, instead of individual or MDAs’ official bank accounts” adding that the MDAs’ computerization of tax collection and remitting into TSA has also expanded the tax bases of state
government by plugging various forms of diverting generated revenues by some consultants and MDAs.
He noted that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had forced the state
Governor, Babagana Zulum, to review and reduce the size of this year’s budget by 30 per cent to fall in tandem with basic economic realities and that, “The bill to review the 2020 budget over COVID-19 pandemic; has been presented to State House of Assembly for deliberations and
adjustments,” noting that, already 42% budget performance has been recorded in the first half of the year.
